E-drug: Fatal Imbalance: MSF on R&D for neglected diseas
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M�decins Sans Fronti�res press release:
Many Killer Diseases Ignored By Drug Industry And Governments
"Fatal Imbalance" Exposed
9 October 2001, Geneva - Virtually no new drugs are being
developed for diseases that predominantly affect the poor,
according to "Fatal Imbalance", a report issued today by the
international medical aid agency M�decins Sans Fronti�res (MSF).
The report details survey responses of drug R&D activities from
some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world,
representing combined sales of nearly $117 billion. From these 11
companies, only one new tuberculosis drug was brought to market
in the last five years. Eight of the 11 reported no research activities
in the last year for fatal diseases that almost exclusively affect the
poor: sleeping sickness, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis1.
"Millions of people in developing countries are dying every year
because the only drugs available to treat many infectious diseases
are old, toxic or ineffective" says Dr Bernard P�coul, Director of
MSF's Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines. "Tropical
diseases alone account for almost 10% of the global disease burden
but virtually no new medicines are being developed, and drug
resistance is wiping out the drugs we have."
This dire lack of drug R&D into unprofitable diseases is also
demonstrated in new data showing that, of the 1393 new drugs
approved between 1975 and 1999, just 13 (1%) were for tropical
diseases.
"Fatal Imbalance" explains that the current global system works
well when it comes to developing drugs for diseases like cancer and
heart disease or even conditions such as baldness or impotence.
But it also explains why diseases that affect people with low
purchasing power will not attract investment from private industry.
Responsibility for correcting the Fatal Imbalance lies with
governments, who must become directly and proactively involved in
searching for solutions at a global level. The report also
recommends that capacity building and technology transfer projects
to increase R&D expertise in developing countries be actively
pursued.
"Drugs are not developed according to public health need, but
according to profitability." said Dr P�coul. "A new paradigm is
urgently needed to address this fatal imbalance. Together with
partners from wealthy and developing countries, MSF is actively
exploring the creation of a Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative
(DNDi), which will focus exclusively on drug development for
neglected diseases. This initiative will need strong public leadership
and financing, as well as private sector support."
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative will harness funding and
new science and technology, foster public-private co-operation and
strengthen pharmaceutical R&D capacity in developing countries.
The ultimate aim is to develop new drugs which are affordable to
those who need them.
As part of this exploration, MSF is funding three pilot drug
development projects on drugs for malaria, leishmaniasis, and
sleeping sickness. Partners include experts from Brazil, Thailand,
Malaysia and Burkina Faso.
"Fatal Imbalance: The Crisis in Research and Development for Drugs
for Neglected Diseases", is the product of the DND Working Group,
a collaboration between scientists, health professionals, drug
development experts, international organisations and NGOs.
Contacts: Ingrid Cox 41 22 849 8401 and Daniel Berman 41 79
286 9649
For more information about Fatal Imbalance see www.msf.org or
www.accessmed-msf.org
1. Survey results reported in Fatal Imbalance come from the DND
Working Group (an MSF-sponsored independent group investigating
drug development for neglected diseases) and Harvard School of
Public Health survey of 20 pharmaceutical companies in Europe,
Japan and the US. The survey enquired about overall resources
devoted to infectious diseases and specific resources devoted to
R&D activities for five neglected diseases: malaria, tuberculosis,
sleeping sickness, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis.
Mai Do
MSF-Access Campaign
Paris, France
e-mail: MDO@paris.msf.org
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